Private school education - paying for the privilege 

It used to be the case that only the upper crust and the privately educated sent their children to private schools. Nowadays, however, more than half of the children entering them have parents who are first time buyers.

Private Schools in the UK are generally known as Independent Schools , because of their freedom to operate outside of government regulations. These fee-charging institutions are favoured by many parents due to their academic standards (which are more-or-less better than in the state sector) and the extra-curricular activities they offer.

Finding your ideal school

The Good Schools Guide  and the  Good Schools Guide (GSG) online  offer a consummate and in-depth analysis of 900 of the best private schools in the UK, with (on this website only) as much information as we can gather on every other private school in the UK including, for many, detailed analysis of examination performances at A level and GCSE. The Guide is written for parents by parents, with particular attention being paid to such matters as what kind of child each school suits, and what it, its pupils and its parents are like. It answers the questions that the prospectuses don't broach, to highlight the strengths and weaknesses that facts can't address. 

'Unique among the many guides available, it set out to give frank answers to the questions every parent asks. It told the truth.' The Daily Telegraph

The Good Schools Guide - Special Educational Needs  is the ideal publication for parents who know, or suspect their child, whether gifted and talented or struggling to read, might have a learning difference. or difficulty. It covers a range of special and mainstream schools in both the independent and state sectors.

'The Guide is excellent we were impressed by the quality of the information you make available to parents.' St James Senior Girls School London

The Good Schools Guide takes no advertising from schools, allowing it to review them without any outside influence. Each review is critical, informative and highly readable.

See also (if you are a subscriber) extensive advice on:

• Choosing a school
• Securing entry to an independent school
• Finance for school fees
• Scholarships and bursaries
• Choosing a school for a talented child
• Choosing SEN provision

...and much more